MS 306

Art Council of the Lower Cape Fear Collection

This collection contains the records of the Art Council of the Lower Cape Fear (ACLCF). Established as a non-profit organization in 1972, the ACLCF was dedicated to "the living arts and to the enrichment of heritage of the Cape Fear region" until it disbanded in 2002. Records date predominately from the late 1980s through 2002.

In its earliest incarnation, the ACLCF undertook a wide range of programming, including artist workshops, theater productions, art and photography exhibits, and community festivals. The Piney Woods Arts and Crafts Festival, established in the 1970s, remained a centerpiece of the council's community impact through 2002. Held annually in Hugh McRae park, this juried art show highlighted both local and regional artists. Demonstrators at the festival encouraged hands-on participation of festival goers and performers entertained them with song, dance, and storytelling.

Beginning in the mid 1970s, the ACLCF produced a monthly newsletter, initially named Artslink and later changed to Arts in Action. These newsletters related the goings-on of the arts community to Wilmington at large. A selection of these newsletters are housed in this collection.

In the early 1980s, the ACLCF expanded the scope of its community impact by establishing the St. Thomas Celebration of the Arts. This festival offered visual and performing arts to the community and raised funds for the renovation of St. Thomas Church into a performing arts center. This period of the Arts Council's history is largely out of the scope of this collection.

By the late 1980s the council drew up a Cultural Action Plan in hopes of inventorying Wilmington's cultural resources. This plan reevaluated the effectiveness of the council's work and shifted the focus of the group from programming to providing technical support to existing agencies. Programs like the Piney Woods Festival would continue, but the ACLCF would now  act as a governing agent for state grants from the North Carolina Arts Council. The ACLCF worked to distribute funds through grant programs like Grassroots, Emerging Artists and Regional Artists. Through these grant programs, the council provided local cultural organizations and artists with the funds needed to attain their goals and thereby enrich the local arts community. The records from these grants comprise the bulk of this collection.

In the 1990s, the ACLCF expanded its goals again, becoming involved in the A+  program, an arts in elementary schools initiative administered with state funds for “Arts in Education.” With funds for this grant, elementary schools in the Lower Cape Fear region were able to establish the arts as a major curriculum component.

In partnership with the University of North Carolina Wilmington, the ACLCF established a marketing effort known as Celebrate Wilmington! in1994.This program continued the council's goal of supporting and promoting existing cultural non-profit organizations. In the final years of the Arts Council, attention focused on strengthening the Board of Directors with special attention to fundraising activities and corporate financial support.

This Collection has been designated Accession Number 306 of the Manuscripts Collection, Special Collections Department, William Madison Randall Library, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403-3297.

There are no restrictions on this collection.

Processed by Erin E. Boyle
Manuscripts Collection
William Madison Randall Library
The University of North Carolina Wilmington
February 2008